File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎181v] (371/834)

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receiving large subsidies from us and not only has gathered
round him all the clans of the Hejaz and neighbouring districts,
but has also drawn to his side all the Ateibah and Harb, tribes
which I bn Sand claims as belonging to him. Latterly large
numbers of Ageyl or Nejd townsmen, attracted by high pay, have
levanted to the Sherif from Anazeh, Bureidah, Sharqah and
Mudhnib. These Ageyl represent some of the best fighting stock
in the country. The Emirs of Anazeh and Mudhnib assured me
that no less than 4,000 of them had joined the Sherif’s forces
from Qasim alone, and these do not include Bedouins.
“In the course of conversation Ibn Saud has frequently
appealed for equality of treatment with the Sherif. He hints
that we have left himself in the cold while doing everything for
his rival. He complains that we have not given him due credit for
his espousal of our cause and uncompromising hostility towards
the Turks ; he even claims credit for the fact that, but for his
benevolent attitude toward the Sherif and his holding the
Sharamar in check, the former’s rebellion would have had no
chance of success. He said that he had resisted many tempting
offers from the Turks who were always attempting to reopen
negotiations with him. As proof of this latter statement he
showed me a letter from Fakhri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Commandant at Medina,
asking him why he had not replied to his friendly letter of the
year previous. I saw also the letter referred to. Both appeared
to be quite genuine. If he has been carrying on any intrigue it
has been with Fakhri Pasha’s superiors at Damascus or elsewhere.
It is rumoured and universally believed that he has received
subsidies from the Turks, and while marching through Woshm I
was told that a party of nine Turkish and German officers had
just cleared out of Riyadh and passed me near Shaqrah going in
the opposite direction. This I hardly think likely : in fact it is
very improbable, though some of Ibn Sand’s entourage are
pro-Turk, or at any rate in favour of a policy of hedging against
a possible return of the Ottoman Government. It is not an
uncommon occurrence, as we have found in Mesopotamia also,
that where there are two rival sheikhs or sections and one is for
us, the other turns pro-1 urk. In the case of Ibn Saud and the
Sherif we have befriended both, though naturally doing most for
the Sherif who has rendered such great services to the cause.
Ibn Saud however thinks we should treat both equally. His
mind harps on the question of the post-bellum conditions and
oscillates distressfully between the disadvantages that would accrue
to him according as the war should result in the victory of the
Allies or the Central Powers. We have sometimes thought that
his possession of Hasa, a district of such great importance to his
Emirate, from which he expelled the Turks a short time before
the war, would be an overwhelming argument in our favour,
Decause he could only hope to keep it by holding on to our skirts.
But such, 1 am reliably informed, is not really the case.
Whichever side should win, he does not believe he will be allowed
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